Here Now & Just Back WDW Reopening Experiences Including Park Hopping

[Dentam]

As I said, I felt pretty safe and it is up to each individual to ensure that you practice the best safety measures for yourself and your family. One thing I did notice: a lot of kids were putting their hands on EVERYTHING, and not sanitizing afterward.
I would come down again because as I said, it’s up to me to do what I feel is necessary to help me feel comfortable and keep me healthy.

Glad you had a good trip and I hope you stay healthy! I would note that I'm all for personal responsibility and doing as much as you can to stay healthy but there are times that you are simply unable to stay as safe as you'd like at the parks (unless you can avoid using the restroom all day I suppose) because of other people's behaviors. Sorry for the TMI moment, but I had already sat down and was in the process of peeing when I had a woman enter the stall directly next to me and begin coughing up phlegm and blowing her nose just as productively. So I could be doing everything right and still be exposed to who knows what because there are others who just don't give a crap quite frankly.

 

[3kidz4dis]

Leaving tomorrow. We had 4 days at the parks and overall a great time. Observations to help you plan:
I feel you are probably as safe as you can be at Disney. We are leaving early because we’ve decided not to go anywhere else besides Disney.
Mask compliance in queues, on attractions,
stores was probably 92-95 percent, if not higher. Very pleased with how safe I felt. Big fail: bathrooms. **Maybe** 30% compliance.
This was an adult only trip and we enjoyed all the attractions. I’m hoping that meet and greets (highly unlikely) and attractions like story time with Belle will be back.
social distancing mostly non existent. I was able to experience most queues with a 2, 3 foot space from most guests.
Thoroughly enjoyed Space 220, don’t know that I felt it was as immersive as I had thought it would be. The staff was definitely in character and that added to the experience. The food was very good though.
Crowds were good, it was HOT, but I didn’t stay for any of the fireworks because of the crowd exposure. In fact, we tried to leave before it got crowded in the later afternoon. My profession requires me to be around elderly people, sometimes people with health issues and I do have to accept some responsibility for keeping myself healthy for them.
I did not ride on the buses, and I took the boat to MK instead of the monorail.
As I said, I felt pretty safe and it is up to each individual to ensure that you practice the best safety measures for yourself and your family. One thing I did notice: a lot of kids were putting their hands on EVERYTHING, and not sanitizing afterward.
I would come down again because as I said, it’s up to me to do what I feel is necessary to help me feel comfortable and keep me healthy.

Leaving tomorrow. We had 4 days at the parks and overall a great time. Observations to help you plan:
I feel you are probably as safe as you can be at Disney. We are leaving early because we’ve decided not to go anywhere else besides Disney.
Mask compliance in queues, on attractions,
stores was probably 92-95 percent, if not higher. Very pleased with how safe I felt. Big fail: bathrooms. **Maybe** 30% compliance.
This was an adult only trip and we enjoyed all the attractions. I’m hoping that meet and greets (highly unlikely) and attractions like story time with Belle will be back.
social distancing mostly non existent. I was able to experience most queues with a 2, 3 foot space from most guests.
Thoroughly enjoyed Space 220, don’t know that I felt it was as immersive as I had thought it would be. The staff was definitely in character and that added to the experience. The food was very good though.
Crowds were good, it was HOT, but I didn’t stay for any of the fireworks because of the crowd exposure. In fact, we tried to leave before it got crowded in the later afternoon. My profession requires me to be around elderly people, sometimes people with health issues and I do have to accept some responsibility for keeping myself healthy for them.
I did not ride on the buses, and I took the boat to MK instead of the monorail.
As I said, I felt pretty safe and it is up to each individual to ensure that you practice the best safety measures for yourself and your family. One thing I did notice: a lot of kids were putting their hands on EVERYTHING, and not sanitizing afterward.
I would come down again because as I said, it’s up to me to do what I feel is necessary to help me feel comfortable and keep me healthy.

We just came back from our trip yesterday and I DITTO you on the heat...Goodness! Was not expecting it. I do agree on the bathrooms but when I was in the stall I dropped my mask because it was air conditioned.YAY! .we walked 26,000 steps on our AK/Epcot day. Everyone thought I was a NUT for bringing a neck fan.. The fireworks were wall to wall people without masks. We are vaccinated and that is always my false sense of security

 

[magickingdomprincess]

We just came back from a mother daughter trip and while the crowds were low and we ultimately had a great time I just have some observations I wanted to share. I sincerely do not intend this to bash on Disney but this trip was different from the 15 or so other trips. The castmembers exchanged their previous personalities for being mask warriors. I remember when you walked into haunted mansion and tower of terror that the cast members took on the personality of the ride. Instead they seem different... I was told at the end of Thunder Mountain Railroad that during the ride, my mask went to my chin and I will be asked to be removed from the park if that happens again. That actually was my first ride and thought that I could pull it down since I was outside..my bad. I was told that in the Sunshine Terrace I was drinking a bottle of water and my feet where moving and was told I had to stand in one spot to drink. Trust me, I am not antimask and am vaccinated but just felt like some of that magic was replaced with rules. And it is hot...do not understimate the heat and humidity in September. And while I understand the mask rules, there was zero social distancing which seemed like a contradiction. Beauty and the Beast..they ARE social distancing on stage, so no contact (that was different, lol) ...Lion King, there are no acrobats. No Finding Nemo, no Fantasmic. Magic Express was a mess with one poor old guy handling all the luggage of 5 resorts and it taking 1 1/2 hours to arrive. There seemed to be numberous rides down and staffing issues. We were stuck on the Skyliner for 1/2 hour in air facing another couple we didn't know. (hope these masks work!) BUT....ROTR was epic, Pandora was fantastic and we came away with wonderul memories for my daughter and I. We walked on ALL rides with the exception of Frozen and Rockin RollerCoaster. Please don't hate me...just trying to share a few observations and missing the old Disney.

Just wanted to say that we felt the same way regarding some (not all) of the cast members when we've been there during covid. Glad that you still had a great trip though!

 

[Mac30188]

I felt the same way in June. For example, on 3 different days at RD, our rides ended up being down after we had been in line for quite some time. Another couple rides ended up being down during the day after we were in line. When explaining my frustration to a CM, her expression took a dramatic change. I don't even remember what she said. But she expressed no empathy. We have another short trip coming up next month. Hoping for a bit more magic.

I very much hope you have a more magical trip next month.

 

[Carol_]

I very rarely get pixie dust, but I got it twice on our 3 day trip last week. They’re trying.

 

[CampbellzSoup]

I’m here now loving it but why is it so damn hot!!!!!!! I thought September things cool down!

 

[Mambo Junkie]

Glad you had a good trip and I hope you stay healthy! I would note that I'm all for personal responsibility and doing as much as you can to stay healthy but there are times that you are simply unable to stay as safe as you'd like at the parks (unless you can avoid using the restroom all day I suppose) because of other people's behaviors. Sorry for the TMI moment, but I had already sat down and was in the process of peeing when I had a woman enter the stall directly next to me and begin coughing up phlegm and blowing her nose just as productively. So I could be doing everything right and still be exposed to who knows what because there are others who just don't give a crap quite frankly.

Oh yes I agree with what you are saying. My remarks about personal responsibility was more directed towards making sure your kids sanitized and better yet, didn’t touch everything in sight that you know countless others have been touching. I know that’s hard, but always have the wipes handy. It was fairly discomforting to me. I was glad my grandkids weren’t there. My DS and DDL are both in the health industry, DDL being an ER nurse so they are very aware. That’s also why they have put their trip off until mid 2022. “fingers crossed” it will happen!

 

[Leigh L]

There’s no social distancing anywhere. Hasn’t been for months. In fact, reports on here are they tell you to fill all available space. Even before vaccines were widely available, walkways were often too crowded to stay six feet apart, queues frequently had people within six feet laterally, and they were seating parties in the same ride vehicle with plexiglass (which based on reports here, has been removed from all ride vehicles now). Some report that restaurants do have some distancing.

This was true in June and it was last week. It's been weird to hear that phrase again! (Especially when you can see remnants of the ground markers in some places still.)

They are enforcing masks in indoor areas, including indoor queues. In 7DMT I watched a family get booted out of the queue for not having any masks. I saw many CMs enforcing it, esp to parents with kids who had masks pulled down.

A CM in a restaurant told me the other day that social distancing inside restaurants (at least Chef Mickey's) will end Oct. 1. They were still nicely spaced when we were there. If that's true, all bets for any sort of indoor spacing in restaurants are off come next week. From what I've read Disney Springs has been back to normal for a while now. In the resorts/parks, it's probably more due to a staffing issue than for spacing purposes I'd imagine.

 

[SkyGuy]

I’m here now loving it but why is it so damn hot!!!!!!! I thought September things cool down!

You thought wrong! September can be nasty. Florida “fall” won’t start until mid- to late-October, and even then “cool down” is highly subjective. We were there October of 2019 for the 6am HS openings, and stepping out of the hotel into the heat and humidity was like hitting a brick wall even at 5:30am. Plus, I used to live in Orlando. The first week I brought my daughter home from the hospital was the only week we didn’t have the a/c running in the years we lived there.

 

[Dentam]

Oh yes I agree with what you are saying. My remarks about personal responsibility was more directed towards making sure your kids sanitized and better yet, didn’t touch everything in sight that you know countless others have been touching. I know that’s hard, but always have the wipes handy. It was fairly discomforting to me. I was glad my grandkids weren’t there. My DS and DDL are both in the health industry, DDL being an ER nurse so they are very aware. That’s also why they have put their trip off until mid 2022. “fingers crossed” it will happen!

I was surprised also to see kids walking around in the crowds in Epcot without masks on and like you said, touching everything.

A CM in a restaurant told me the other day that social distancing inside restaurants (at least Chef Mickey's) will end Oct. 1. They were still nicely spaced when we were there. If that's true, all bets for any sort of indoor spacing in restaurants are off come next week. From what I've read Disney Springs has been back to normal for a while now. In the resorts/parks, it's probably more due to a staffing issue than for spacing purposes I'd imagine.

They were definitely not distancing in Nine Dragons when we ate dinner there one evening. I would not repeat that experience. Honestly, I don't really know when I will feel comfortable going back to Disney World at this point but I guess that's also a personal thing because I also don't see myself going to a concert or any other very crowded situation for quite some time.

 

[CBMom01]

Why don’t people wear masks in the bathroom? Do we think it’s because there’s no CM there to police? No wonder those CMs are worn so thin.

 

[ak517]

Apologies if this is clutter, but want to add my .02 in case it's helpful. At the parks yesterday I was a little confused by when and where we should be masking on rides, but I realized by the end of the day that if all the cast members are wearing their masks when you board the ride, this is a good gauge you will need it on for the duration per Disney rules. I know some others have noted that if there's AC in the queue that's an indication to put it on, but that can be tricky to feel with quick entrances/exits and rides with outdoor portions, so I found observing the CMs to be most helpful for me. Generally someone will be standing where they want you to put your mask on.

Also, if you're on an indoor ride with a photo (like HM), make sure to keep your mask on or you won't get the photo. The guideline Photopass told me was if you're outside when the photo is taken, your mask can be removed, for instance Splash Mountain and Expedition Everest qualify. I will update if I find out the policy for ToT today.

As an aside, crowd levels were fabulous at AK and waits for all of my favorites at MK were extremely low. The longest I waited all day was FOP at AK and it was only around 30 minutes, almost everything else felt <10 minutes but I didn't ride Kali, 7DMT, or JC. I was last here in July and it was tough waiting for extended periods in the heat. I have mostly been using the TP app with membership because this doesn't seem to drain my battery as much. Additionally, Photopass lines have been short or nonexistent even at front entrances (especially later in the day), and it was impossible to find popcorn after 5PM in Frontier/Adventureland at MK (so I decided I'll get some earlier today instead).

 

[CBMom01]

Apologies if this is clutter, but want to add my .02 in case it's helpful. At the parks yesterday I was a little confused by when and where we should be masking on rides, but I realized by the end of the day that if all the cast members are wearing their masks when you board the ride, this is a good gauge you will need it on for the duration per Disney rules. I know some others have noted that if there's AC in the queue that's an indication to put it on, but that can be tricky to feel with quick entrances/exits and rides with outdoor portions, so I found observing the CMs to be most helpful for me. Generally someone will be standing where they want you to put your mask on.

Also, if you're on an indoor ride with a photo (like HM), make sure to keep your mask on or you won't get the photo. The guideline Photopass told me was if you're outside when the photo is taken, your mask can be removed, for instance Splash Mountain and Expedition Everest qualify. I will update if I find out the policy for ToT today.

As an aside, crowd levels were fabulous at AK and waits for all of my favorites at MK were extremely low. The longest I waited all day was FOP at AK and it was only around 30 minutes, almost everything else felt <10 minutes but I didn't ride Kali, 7DMT, or JC. I was last here in July and it was tough waiting for extended periods in the heat. I have mostly been using the TP app with membership because this doesn't seem to drain my battery as much. Additionally, Photopass lines have been short or nonexistent even at front entrances (especially later in the day), and it was impossible to find popcorn after 5PM in Frontier/Adventureland at MK (so I decided I'll get some earlier today instead).

The photo pass thing should be emphasized. I’ve seen people complaining that they lost out on pictures because someone *else* in their ride car wasn’t masked.

 

[Dakota731]

I’m confused with several recent posts about no enforcing of social distancing. Are the six foot markers up again in lines? I thought they were gone now so how would CMs enforce then?

 

[Dentam]

I’m confused with several recent posts about no enforcing of social distancing. Are the six foot markers up again in lines? I thought they were gone now so how would CMs enforce then?

No social distancing - not the enforcement of it since it's no longer in effect. I think a previous poster already clarified this.

 

[Dakota731]

Odds are that in a theme park full of thousands of people someone is going to have a cold or blow their nose and they may even have to use a restroom too.

 

[scrappinginontario]

Let's keep comments on topic please.

 

[Leigh L]

Posting this from the news thread for anyone with trips this week. It's about the start of Early Entry. Thanks @JeffreyY for sharing your email. Looks like a soft opening starting 9/26
https://www.disboards.com/threads/disney-news-discussion-an-element-of-fun.3838908/post-63394919

 

[ThereYouSeeHer]

We are back home from our trip 9/18-9/22 (with a day a Disney's Hilton Head yesterday). I've been posting updates around the boards on various threads, so I won't recap everything here, but check out the Food and Wine thread for yummy photos!

Overall, we had a great trip and are glad we went! We accomplished everything we set out to do (Happily Ever After, Epcot Forever, and trying boarding groups), and anything else was just a bonus. The big hit of the vacation was Galaxy's Edge. I didn't personally ride the Falcon or Rise, but I did go through both queues (Rise has multiple chances for an exit after the queue). We didn't get to experience Oga's, but we knew that going into it. Our car was full of souvenirs from around the Galaxy, including a light saber! Yikes!

Food and Wine was delicious. Lines for rides were either short or, if they were long, constantly moving.

One thing that was tough was the heat. We have been in August or September multiple times, but this just felt different. We finally realized that most places seemed to have poor air conditioning. We would duck into shows like Carousel of Progress or American Adventure to get cool, but realized it was just slightly less hot and slightly less humid inside. Our room at AoA was the only place we would describe as cold and chilly. Everywhere else, including our room at AS Music, we went in hot and came out warm. We just couldn't get a refreshing break.

We also had broken pieces of plastic in a milkshake at Hollywood Studios. Thankfully, no one got hurt!

We used the Sprinkles Cupcakes ATM song as our wakeup song each day, and it was such a funny way to start the morning.

For now, the goal is to return January 2023. Hopefully, it will have low crowds, low prices, low temperature, and we can catch everything we missed for the 50th!

 

[lovethattink]

Is social distancing not being enforced outdoors among guests without masks? Or not being enforced with masked guests, or just not being enforced across the board?

There is no social distancing at Disney. Hasn’t been for months.

How did they logistically handle the Monsters Inc queue right after they opened with social distancing? or fireworks at MK? Those were what came to mind last week where I was feeling the smush of faces

They weren’t running.

I’m here now loving it but why is it so damn hot!!!!!!! I thought September things cool down!

Aug and September are the hottest most humid months of the year.

The photo pass thing should be emphasized. I’ve seen people complaining that they lost out on pictures because someone *else* in their ride car wasn’t masked.

Even under the nose results in no photos.

I’m confused with several recent posts about no enforcing of social distancing. Are the six foot markers up again in lines? I thought they were gone now so how would CMs enforce then?

The markers have been removed for a while. And cm tell you to fill in all available space again.